Project Scorpio's Specs Are As Impressive As We Thought

Microsoft this morning finally revealed the specs for the Project Scorpio version of Xbox One and, while not all of our questions have been answered just yet, it looks like the machine lives up to their long-running boasts that it would be the most powerful game console to date.

Over on the official Xbox website, Microsoft has at long last pulled back the curtain on Project Scorpio's particulars. While we still may not have a launch date, final name or price point for the machine, we at least know what it will have running under the hood. And based on these specs, it doesn't look like the machine will be on the cheap side.

For starters, let's run down the Scorpio's numbers, as these various combinations of figures and letters help explain why the Scorpio will be such a powerful 4K gaming machine. As we already knew, the Scorpio will have a 6 teraflop GPU, but that will be complimented by a 2.3 GHz Custom CPU and 1 TB of hard drive space. I'd argue that 2 TB should probably be the minimum at this point but, with the ability to add on external HDD space, maybe that's a non-issue.

The Scorpio looks to be lightning fast with 12 GB of memory and 326 GB of memory bandwidth. Also, the Scorpio will play UHD Blu-ray movies, something even Sony doesn't offer on their upgraded Pro model.

Speaking of the Pro, Microsoft wasn't just beating their chest when they made earlier claims that Sony's new console did not compare to the raw power of the Scorpio. Putting the two side-by-side, both the Scorpio and the Pro have 1 TB of hard drive space. In every other regard, the Scorpio outpaces the Pro.

Three other key components were outlined in the Scorpio's reveal, including a vapor chamber liquid cooling system to make sure the console doesn't get too hot. As Microsoft points out, this is a first for home consoles. There's also a centrifugal fan under the hood which should help keep things nice and cool without getting too loud. Finally, the Scorpio will use a power delivery system known as the Hovis Method, which is intended to "maximize performance and minimize power."

Assuming everything works as it should, Microsoft has delivered on their promise to make the Scorpio a super powerful home console. It's important to remember, though, that this isn't technically a new console cycle. It won't play exclusive games from the Xbox One, and all Xbox One games will run on the Scorpio. The big difference will be how well they run and look on that new machine.

Look for the Scorpio to finally arrive this holiday season. Until then, there's plenty of time for Microsoft to fill in the blanks, which we figure will come around the time of their E3 press conference this June.